Tool supporting rack



March 13, 1945. W M, DAVIS 2,371,433

TOOL SUPPORTING RACK Filed April 7. 1944 constructed in accordance with this invention;`

Patented Mar. 13, 1945 UNITED s'rAi-"Ies o'FFlcE.,

. y `2971,4s'a 1j l TooL sUPPonTiNGnAcK Willia1n M..Davis, 'y I ,l .f l* applicationy Aprii 7*, 1944, serial Np. 529,945

'7- claims. (.01.l iin-fett A Thi'sj invention relates to devices for` holding a;

series ort'ools in an orderly and compact arrangement, convenient for removal and replace-` mentr as required by a workman. The invention aims to devise an article of this nature which can be manufactured economically,

can readily be adapted for use with a great variety of sizes of tools, and in which the ar- Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the rack shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the tool holding units or blocks.

The device shown in the drawing comprises a,

series of 'tool holding units 2, eachof which may conveniently consist of 'a .block of wood having a tool supporting sockettherein formed by drilling a hole vertically through it, the upper part of the hole being larger than the lower end so as to form a seat 3. It serves as a rest for the lower end of the handle portion of such tools as screw drivers, les having handles secured to them, chi'sels, and the like. From the socket in each block a slot a extends forward to the front face of the block, this slot being narrower than the socket so that any tool may be slipped into or removed from the socket by moving it through the slot.

These blocks may conveniently be made `of wood, or any wood substitute which can lbe worked in essentially the saine manner, or they.

may be molded of plastics, or any moldable composition. And they may be made in a variety of sizes suited to the requirements of tools of diierent kinds or of different sizes of the same kin-d.

For many tools the socket only need be made in different sizes, the blocks all being of Vthe same dimensions.

A series of these blocks is mounted in a channel bar 4 which, in turn, may be secured to a wall, the back of a cabinet, or any other suitable support, by means of screws 5. As shown at b-b in Fig. 3, the extreme edges of the channeljbar are bent towardieach other. Also,v the upper. and lower, surfaces .of the rearward `hortions of` theilroldersgZ', are l'grooved longitudinally,

Y ashes illustrated at. 6'+6in Fig. 4", sothat they l freely'into the' channel bar., the. grooves' accoirim datingthe edges b'by ofitheflanges of can "sl Thus the rack may be made up of to'olholding units having sockets of a single size, or of a variety of sizes, depending upon the requirements or preferences of the individual user, and holders of different sizes may be arranged in the channel bar in any order desired.

For the purpose of preventing the blocks from sliding bodily in the channel bar 4 out vof either end thereof, screws may be driven through holes 1-1 in the web of the bar at opposite ends of the entire series of blocks, each screw being left projectingfar enough to act as a stop for the blocks.

I prefer, however, to equip each block with some means for giving it considerable frictional resistance to movement-lengthwise of the channel bar, and this may be conveniently accomplished by slotting the rearward portions of the blocks in a plane parallel to their upper and lower surfaces as indicated, for example, at 8. In each slot a V-shaped metal spring 9 is inserted where its inherent effort to expand vertically tends to spread the two walls of the slot apart, and thus to make the block bind against the upper and lower portions of the channel bar. These springs may have spurs struck from their upper and lower surfaces, as shown in Fig. 3, that will not interfere materially with their movement into the slots but will prevent them from backing out.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the invention provides a very simple form of tool supporting rack which can 'be manufactured economically, and is readily adaptable to the requirements of different kinds and sizes of tools` Also, the merchandiser can sell the channel bar in lengths to suit the desires of his customers and the customer can select the number and size of the blocks 2 that he requires for his particular use.

While I have herein `shown and -described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is evident that the invention is not,limited to embodiment in the specific form illustrated.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A tool'supporting rack comprising a series of blocks each having a tool supporting socket formed therein, the socket in eachvblock being connected by an open slot to the front face of the block, a channel bar on which said blocks are mounted, said bar being provided with guiding edges and said blocks being grooved on the top and bottom to slide on said edges.

2. A tool supporting rack according to preceding claim 1, including means for making said blocks bind on said bar.

3. A tool supporting'rack comprising a series of independent tool supporting blocks each having a tool holding socket formed therein'and a channel bar in which said blocks are mounted in a row, the bar having edges bent toward each other and the upper and lower faces of said blocks being grooved to receive said edges, whereby the blocks are slidably adjustable on said bar.

4. A tool supporting rack according to preceding claim 3, including means for frictionally binding the blocks on the bar.

5. A tool supporting rack according to preceding claim 3, in which the backs of said blocks are slotted in a direction parallel to said top and bottom faces, and means in said slots serving to spread the slotted sections of the block vertically into frictional engagement with the anges of said bar.

6. A device for supporting a tooi provided with a handle, comprising a block provided with an upright socket including an upper straight wall section to receive the handle of the tool and a lower section of smaller diameter for the passage therethrough of the shank of the tool, said socket including a seat at the junction of said sections and being provided, also, with a slot extending forwardly from both sections of said socket to the forward surface of the block, said slot being narrower than the maximum diameter of said socket and providing a passage through which the shank of the tool may be freely moved in placing it in said socket or removing it therefrom, said block having grooves in its upper and lower surfaces parallel to the back thereof to receive parallel anges of a support in which the block may be mounted.

'7. A device according to preceding claim 6, in which said block is provided with a horizontal slot extending thereinto from the rear surface thereof to receive a device for wedging said grooved portions of the block apart to lock them to said support.

WILLIAM M. DAVIS. 

